The Weather Channel begins Hurricane Week 2013

This week has turned into a real boon for fans of intense and dangerous natural phenomena. Last night, Discovery Channel kicked off its annual Shark Week event. And tonight, Aug. 5, The Weather Channel begins the latest installment of one of its themed programming blocks — Hurricane Week — which runs through Aug. 11.

Now, with this clash of sharks and weather, I don’t want to hear any Sharknado jokes from you folks, even though The Weather Channel made a quip of that sort in its email announcing Hurricane Week. Realizing that they face formidable ratings competition from Shark Week, The Weather Channel has created on-air promos highlighting and poking a little fun at this “Sharkicane” showdown of theme weeks. One of the promos is below.

Hurricane Week will feature hurricane-themed original programming, including episodes of Hurricane HuntersWeather Caught on Camera, Storm Stories, Storm Riders, When Weather Changed History, It Could Happen Tomorrow and Strangest Weather on Earth. There will also be the documentary Sandy: Anatomy of a Superstorm, and the special Coast Guard: HMS Bounty Rescue, which looks at the rescue of 14 crewmembers onboard the HMS Bounty during Superstorm Sandy.

Live programming during The Weather Channel’s Hurricane Week will feature on-camera meteorologists and hurricane experts on location talking to key government officials and residents to learn how each city has recovered from the devastation of hurricanes. On Monday, Stephanie Abrams will be in New Jersey, and Jim Cantore will be in New Orleans; on Wednesday, Jim Cantore will be in Galveston; and on Friday, Bryan Norcross is in Miami.

Other segments during Hurricane Week will include Top 5 (meteorologists count down the Top 5 most powerful, costliest and deadliest hurricanes of all time); Hurricane Heroes (incredible stories of heroism during storms); When Seconds Count: Life Saving Tips (Jim Cantore visits a unique facility that teaches first responders skills they need during a storm); Hurricane Anniversaries (a look back at the one-year anniversaries of Isaac and Sandy, the five-year anniversary of Ike and the 10-year anniversary of Isabel); and Meteorologists’ Most Memorable Moments (Al Roker, Stephanie Abrams and Mike Seidel recall their most memorable hurricane experiences).

The network says that its website will also feature a host of hurricane articles and safety tips.

Hurricane Week airs Aug. 5-11 on The Weather Channel.